1.29.2014

President Obama's State of the Union Message: I'm Not Waiting for Congress - I'll Get the Job Done Myself!

--> By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

President Barack Obama Delivers the State of the Union Address, January 28, 2014

President
Obama's 2014 State of the Union

The
President delivered his fifth State of the Union Address on Tuesday,
January 28. The nearly hour long address was filled with renewed
promises to the American public, and some not so subtle warnings to
Congress that he was prepared to get the job done with or without
their help and cooperation. In fact, as the President outlined his
agenda for the year, there was more than one occasion where he stated
openly that plans were already in place to get a task done, and if
Congress wanted to join him in expanding it, they were welcome to do
so. I couldn't help being thrilled as I listened to his speech unfold, and throughout his addressed he peppered it with-in-your-face messages to the republycons and tea baggers.

The
following are key excerpts that I thought would be of interest and
answer many questions that had cropped up as to where we as a country
are headed over the next year.

Did you watch? What was your take on the President's address?

Your feedback is welcome.

Stay Blessed &

ECLECTICALLY BLACK

Gloria

www.gloriadulanwilson.blogspot.com/ECLECTICALLY BLACK NEWS

Per
President Obama the current state of the Union is good:

“The
lowest unemployment rate in over five years. A rebounding housing
market. A manufacturing sector that's adding jobs for the first time
since the 1990s. More oil produced at home than we buy from the rest
of the world – the first time that's happened in nearly twenty
years. Our deficits – cut by more than half. And for the first time
in over a decade, business leaders around the world have declared
that China is no longer the world's number one place to invest;
America is.”

NO MORE CONGRESSIONAL GRIDLOCK:“The
question for everyone in this chamber, running through every decision
we make this year, is whether we are going to help or hinder this
progress. For several years now, this town has been consumed by a
rancorous argument over the proper size of the federal government.
It's an important debate – one that dates back to our very
founding. But when that debate prevents us from carrying out even
the most basic functions of our democracy – when our differences
shut down government or threaten the full faith and credit of the
United States – then we are not doing right by the American people.“That's
what most Americans want – for all of us in this chamber to focus
on their lives, their hopes, their aspirations. And what I believe
unites the people of this nation, regardless of race or region or
party, young or old, rich or poor, is the simple, profound belief in
opportunity for all – the notion that if you work hard and take
responsibility, you can get ahead.I
offer tonight is a set of concrete, practical proposals to speed up
growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of
opportunity into the middle class. Some require Congressional action,
and I'm eager to work with all of you. But
America does not stand still – and neither will I. So wherever and
whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity
for more American families, that's what I'm going to do.

HIGHER EDUCATION AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

White
House just organized a College Opportunity Summit where already, 150
universities, businesses, and nonprofits have made concrete
commitments to reduce inequality in access to higher education –
and help every hardworking kid go to college and succeed when they
get to campus. Across the country, we're partnering with mayors,
governors, and state legislatures on issues from homelessness to
marriage equality.

The
point is, there are millions of Americans outside Washington who are
tired of stale political arguments, and are moving this country
forward. They believe, and I believe, that here in America, our
success should depend not on accident of birth, but the strength of
our work ethic and the scope of our dreams. That's what
drew our forebears here. It's how the daughter of a factory worker is
CEO of America's largest automaker; how the son of a barkeeper is
Speaker of the House (he gets
Boehner with this one every time); how the son of a single
mom can be President of the greatest nation on Earth.Empower4U

Your contributions help keep me online;thanks for your generosity & support - GDWBRINGING
MANUFACTURING AND HIGH TECHNOLOGICAL JOBS BACK TO US:“Half
of big manufacturers say they're thinking of insourcing jobs from
abroad. Our
tax code is riddled with wasteful, complicated loopholes that punish
businesses investing here, and reward companies that keep profits
abroad. Let's flip that equation. Let's work together to close those
loopholes, end those incentives to ship jobs overseas, and lower tax
rates for businesses that create jobs here at home.Moreover,
we can take the money we save with this transition to tax reform to
create jobs rebuilding our roads, upgrading our ports, unclogging our
commutes – because in today's global economy, first-class jobs
gravitate to first-class infrastructure.We'll
need Congress to protect more than three million jobs by finishing
transportation and waterways bills this summer. But I will act on my
own to slash bureaucracy and streamline the permitting process for
key projects, so we can get more construction workers on the job as
fast as possible. “America
is set for the next wave of high-tech manufacturing jobs. My
administration has launched two hubs for high-tech manufacturing in
Raleigh and Youngstown, where we've connected businesses to research
universities that can help America lead the world in advanced
technologies. Tonight, I'm announcing we'll launch six more this
year.Bipartisan
bills in both houses could double the number of these hubs and the
jobs they create. So get those bills to my desk and put more
Americans back to work.

We
need to work together on tools like bipartisan trade promotion
authority to protect our workers, protect our environment, and open
new markets to new goods stamped "Made in the USA." China
and Europe aren't standing on the sidelines. Neither should we.

ENERGY
INDEPENDENCE: America is closer to
energy independence than we've been in decades. One of the reasons
why is natural gas – if
extracted safely, it's the
bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon
pollution that causes climate change. Businesses plan to invest
almost $100 billion in new factories that use natural gas. I'll cut
red tape to help states get those factories built, and this Congress
can help by putting people to work building fueling stations that
shift more cars and trucks from foreign oil to American natural gas.
My administration will keep working with the industry to sustain
production and job growth while strengthening protection of our air,
our water, and our communities. And while we're at it,
I'll use my authority to protect more of our pristine federal lands
for future generations.

SOLAR
POWER/ENERGY: we're
becoming a global leader in solar, too. Every four minutes, another
American home or business goes solar; every panel pounded into place
by a worker whose job can't be outsourced. Let's continue that
progress with a smarter tax policy that stops giving $4 billion a
year to fossil fuel industries that don't need it, so that we can
invest more in fuels of the future that do.

GLOBAL
CLIMATE CHANGES: A changing climate is already
harming western communities struggling with drought, and coastal
cities dealing with floods. That's why I directed my administration
to work with states, utilities, and others to set new standards on
the amount of carbon pollution our power plants are allowed to dump
into the air. The shift to a cleaner energy economy won't happen
overnight, and it will require tough choices along the way. But the
debate is settled. Climate change is a fact. And when our children's
children look us in the eye and ask if we did all we could to leave
them a safer, more stable world, with new sources of energy, I want
us to be able to say yes, we did.

IMMIGRATION
REFORM: Fix our broken immigration system.
Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have acted. I know that
members of both parties in the House want to do the same. Independent
economists say immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink
our deficits by almost $1 trillion in the next two decades. And for
good reason: when people come here to fulfill their dreams – to
study, invent, and contribute to our culture – they make our
country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create
jobs for everyone. So let's get immigration reform done this year.

JOB
OPPORTUNITIES, EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING: Appointed Vice
President Biden to lead an across-the-board reform of America's
training programs to make sure they have one mission: train Americans
with the skills employers need, and match them to good jobs that need
to be filled right now. That means more on-the-job training, and more
apprenticeships that set a young worker on an upward trajectory for
life. It means connecting companies to community colleges that can
help design training to fill their specific needs. And
if Congress wants to help, you can concentrate funding on proven
programs that connect more ready-to-work Americans with
ready-to-be-filled jobs.

UNEMPLOYMENT
INSURANCE: The President called for
reforming unemployment insurance so that it's more effective in
today's economy. But
first, this Congress needs to restore the unemployment insurance you
just let expire for 1.6 million people. That's
why I've been asking CEOs to give more long-term unemployed workers a
fair shot at that new job and new chance to support their families;
this week, many will come to the White House to make that commitment
real. Tonight, I ask every business leader in America to join us and
to do the same – because we are stronger when America fields a full
team.

UNIVERSAL
PRE-K and HIGHER EDUCATION: Of course,
it's not enough to train today's workforce. We also have to prepare
tomorrow's workforce, by guaranteeing every child access to a
world-class education. And
as Congress decides what it's going to do, I'm
going to pull together a coalition of elected officials, business
leaders, and philanthropists willing to help more kids access the
high-quality pre-K they need.

Last
year, I also pledged to connect99
percent of our students to high-speed broadband over the next four
years. Tonight, I can announce that with the support of the FCC and
companies like Apple, Microsoft, Sprint, and Verizon, we've got a
down payment to start connecting more than 15,000 schools and twenty
million students over the next two years, without adding a dime to
the deficit.

We're
working to redesign high schools and partner them with colleges and
employers that offer the real-world education and hands-on training
that can lead directly to a job and career. We're shaking up our
system of higher education to give parents more information, and
colleges more incentives to offer better value, so that no
middle-class kid is priced out of a college education.

FEDERAL
STUDENT LOANS: We're offering millions the
opportunity to cap their monthly student loan payments to ten percent
of their income, and I want to work with Congress to see how we can
help even more Americans who feel trapped by student loan debt.

YOUNG
MEN OF COLOR: And I'm reaching out to some of
America's leading foundations and corporations on a new initiative to
help more young men of color facing tough odds stay on track and
reach their full potential.

WOMEN
AND ECONOMIC PARITY: Today, women make up about half our
workforce. But they still make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns.
That is wrong, and in 2014, it's an embarrassment. A
woman deserves equal pay for equal work. She deserves to have a baby
without sacrificing her job. A mother deserves a day off to care for
a sick child or sick parent without running into hardship – and you
know what, a father does, too. It's time to do away with workplace
policies that belong in a "Mad Men" episode.

MINIMUM
WAGE INCREASE TO $10.10: But Americans overwhelmingly agree
that no one who works full time should ever have to raise a family in
poverty. Tonight, I ask more of America's business leaders to … do
what you can to raise your employees' wages. To every mayor,
governor, and state legislator in America,
I say, you don't have to wait for Congress to act; Americans will
support you if you take this on. And as a chief executive, I intend
to lead by example. I will issue an Executive Order
requiring federal contractors to pay their federally-funded employees
a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour – because if you cook our
troops' meals or wash their dishes, you shouldn't have to live in
poverty. Of course, to reach
millions more, Congress needs to get on board.

EITC:
Earned Income Tax Credit. Right now, it helps
about half of all parents at some point. But I agree with Republicans
like Senator Rubio that it doesn't do enough for single workers who
don't have kids. So let's work together to strengthen the credit,
reward work, and help more Americans get ahead.

MY
R A SAVINGS BOND FOR THE FUTURE: most
workers don't have a pension. A Social Security check often isn't
enough on its own. And while the stock market has doubled over the
last five years, that doesn't help folks who don't have 401ks. That's
why, tomorrow, I will direct the Treasury to create a new way for
working Americans to start their own retirement savings: MyRA. It's a
new savings bond that encourages folks to build a nest egg. MyRA
guarantees a decent return with no risk of losing what you put in.
And if
this Congress wants to help, work with me to fix an upside-down tax
code that gives big tax breaks to help the wealthy save, but does
little to nothing for middle-class Americans. Offer every American
access to an automatic IRA on the job, so they can save at work just
like everyone in this chamber can.HOME
OWNERS PROTECTION: And since the most important
investment many families make is their home, send
me legislation that protects taxpayers from footing the bill for a
housing crisis ever again, and keeps the dream of
homeownership alive for future generations of Americans.OBAMA
CARES AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE ACT: And
here's another number: zero. Because of this law, no American can
ever again be dropped or denied coverage for a preexisting condition
like asthma, back pain, or cancer. No woman can ever be charged more
just because she's a woman. And we did all this while adding years to
Medicare's finances, keeping Medicare premiums flat, and lowering
prescription costs for millions of seniors.American
people aren't interested in refighting old battles. So again, if you
have specific plans to cut costs, cover more people, and increase
choice – tell America what you'd do differently. Let's see if the
numbers add up. But let's not have another forty-something votes to
repeal a law that's already helping millions of Americans like
Amanda. The first forty were plenty. We got it. We all owe it to the
American people to say what we're for, not just what we're against.VOTING
RIGHTS: Citizenship means standing up for everyone's right to
vote. Last year, part of the Voting Rights Act was weakened. But
conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are working together
to strengthen it; and the bipartisan commission I appointed last year
has offered reforms so that no one has to wait more than a half hour
to vote. Let's support these efforts. It should be the power of our
vote, not the size of our bank account, that drives our democracy.GUN
VIOLENCE: Citizenship means standing up
for the lives that gun violence steals from us each day. I have seen
the courage of parents, students, pastors, and police officers all
over this country who say "we are not afraid," and I
intend to keep trying, with or without Congress, to help stop more
tragedies from visiting innocent Americans in our movie theaters,
shopping malls, or schools like Sandy Hook.THE
PRINCIPLE OF CITIZENSHIP AND DIPLOMACY: Citizenship
demands a sense of common cause; participation in the hard work of
self-government; an obligation to serve to our communities.

But
I strongly believe our leadership and our security cannot depend on
our military alone. As Commander-in-Chief, I have used force when
needed to protect the American people, and I will never hesitate to
do so as long as I hold this office. But
I will not send our troops into harm's way unless it's truly
necessary; nor will I allow our sons and daughters to be mired in
open-ended conflicts. We must fight the battles that need to be
fought, not those that terrorists prefer from us – large-scale
deployments that drain our strength and may ultimately feed
extremism.

END OF THE DRONES:

America
must move off a permanent war footing. That's why I've
imposed prudent limits on the use of drones –
for we will not be safer if people abroad believe we strike within
their countries without regard for the consequence. That's why,
working with this Congress, I will reform our surveillance programs –
because the vital work of our intelligence community depends on
public confidence, here and abroad, that the privacy of ordinary
people is not being violated.

We
are clear-eyed about Iran's support for terrorist organizations like
Hezbollah, which threaten our allies; and the mistrust between our
nations cannot be wished away. But these negotiations do not rely on
trust; any long-term deal we agree to must be based on verifiable
action that convinces us and the international community that Iran is
not building a nuclear bomb. If John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan
could negotiate with the Soviet Union, then surely a strong and
confident America can negotiate with less powerful adversaries today.
The
sanctions that we put in place helped make this opportunity possible.
But let me be clear: if
this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now that threatens to
derail these talks, I will veto it.

Finally,
let's remember that our leadership is defined not just by our defense
against threats, but by the enormous opportunities to do good and
promote understanding around the globe – to forge greater
cooperation, to expand new markets, to free people from fear and
want. And no one is better positioned to take advantage of those
opportunities than America.

Our
alliance with Europe remains the strongest the world has ever known.
Across Africa, we're bringing together businesses and governments to
double access to electricity and help end extreme poverty. In the
Americas, we are building new ties of commerce, but we're also
expanding cultural and educational exchanges among young people. And
we will continue to focus on the Asia-Pacific, where we support our
allies, shape a future of greater security and prosperity, and extend
a hand to those devastated by disaster – as we did in the
Philippines, when our Marines and civilians rushed to aid those
battered by a typhoon, and were greeted with words like, "We
will never forget your kindness" and "God bless America!"

My
fellow Americans, no other country in the world does what we do. On
every issue, the world turns to us, not simply because of the size of
our economy or our military might – but because of the ideals we
stand for, and the burdens we bear to advance them.

VETERANS
RIGHTS AND BENEFITS:
We'll keep slashing that backlog so our veterans receive the benefits
they've earned, and our wounded warriors receive the health care –
including the mental health care – that they need. We'll keep
working to help all our veterans translate their skills and
leadership into jobs here at home. And we all continue to join forces
to honor and support our remarkable military families.Empower4U

Our
freedom, our democracy, has never been easy. Sometimes we stumble; we
make mistakes; we get frustrated or discouraged. But for more than
two hundred years, we have put those things aside and placed our
collective shoulder to the wheel of progress – to create and build
and expand the possibilities of individual achievement; to free other
nations from tyranny and fear; to promote justice, and fairness, and
equality under the law, so that the words set to paper by our
founders are made real for every citizen. The America we want for our
kids – a rising America where honest work is plentiful and
communities are strong; where prosperity is widely shared and
opportunity for all lets us go as far as our dreams and toil will
take us –

None
of it is easy. But if we work together; if we summon what is best in
us, with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast towards
tomorrow – I know it's within our reach. Believe it.

God
bless you, and God bless the United States of America. ###

NOTE: There were several well deserved standing ovations throughout the evening as the President suavely covered his agenda, with the First Lady looking on, beautifully attired in a Pewter Silver dress.

2014 is our year in more ways than one. As you review the excerpts, or read the entire transcript of his speech, you will see there are several opportunities for involvement. Don't sit on the side lines. This is a pivotal election year. In order for him to be able to truly implement his plans, we must do our part and make sure that by November of this year there is a new majority of Democrats in the House and Senate, ready to roll up their sleeves and work. In the interim, like the President, we must also be prepared to play it as it lays and get the tasks at hand accomplished regardless of the opposition from the lunatic repuglycon teabagger fringe.